By Joyce Kryszak
Buffalo, NY – A Buffalo shelter for troubled teens is opening its arms to kids countywide through its new SafePlace program.
Compass House is joining forces with Tops Markets and the Niagara Frontier Transportation Authority to provide hundreds of safe places for kids to go who are in crisis. A bold yellow and black, diamond-shaped SafePlace logo will be displayed in every Tops and Martin's supermarket, as well as on 330 Metro buses. The symbol will let teens know where they can get immediate help if they are abused, neglected or in crisis.
Compass House Executive Director Sylvia Nadler says there are teens in crisis everywhere.
"Family problems exist all over, they're universal: They're not confined to City geographics," said Nadler. "Every family has their own issues, their own problems. Each of us has our skills at dealing with some of them, and have our problems in dealing with others. There's none of us who should have to face our problems alone."
Bus drivers and Tops employees are trained how to contact volunteers, who will pick up the teens and take them to the shelter for assistance. Nearly $250,000 was raised to pay for the program from the Oishei Foundation, the Cornell Trust and others.